Refrigerator

ABSTRACT

A refrigerator including a main body forming a refrigerating compartment; a door being rotated selectively in a first direction or in a second direction opposite to the first direction to open the refrigerating compartment; a wire assembly connecting the door with the main body; and a door cap coupled to the door, the door cap including a first accommodating section to receive the wire assembly when the door is rotated in the first direction, and a second accommodating section being opposite to the first accommodating section to receive the wire assembly when the door is rotated in the second direction. With this configuration, a refrigerator is provided in which an installation position of a wire assembly is conveniently altered in correspondence to an opening direction of a door.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 2004-0049146, filed on Jun. 28, 2004, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a refrigerator and, more particularly, to a refrigerator, in which an installation position of a wire assembly is conveniently altered in correspondence to an opening direction of a door.

2. Description of the Related Art

Generally, a refrigerator comprises a refrigerator main body forming a refrigerating compartment, a door opening and closing the refrigerating compartment, and a hinge unit hingedly connecting the door with the main body.

As an example of the refrigerator, there is a refrigerator disclosed in Korean Utility Model Application No. 1994-028441, in which a hinge shaft is coupled to the door via a through hole formed on an hinge plate coupled to the main body, so that a first door can be opened in a rightward direction.

In a front of the first door is provided a control panel to select a freezing state and/or a cooling state of food stored in the refrigerating compartment, wherein a wire passes through the main body and the hinge shaft of the hinge unit formed in a top portion of the first door, thereby connecting the control panel with a control component (not shown) provided in the main body.

Generally, the door of the refrigerator is opened in a rightward direction. However, there is a refrigerator in Korean Patent Application No. 1994-026610, in which a door can be opened leftward and rightward, namely, bi-directionally.

In this refrigerator having a bi-directionally opening door, the hinge unit should be positioned in a right side and a left side in correspondence to the rightward opening direction and the leftward opening direction of the door, respectively.

Thus, in the refrigerator having a bi-directionally opening door, the installation position of the hinge unit is altered according to the opening directions of the door, so that there arises a problem that it is inconvenient to treat the wire passing through the hinge unit of the door and connecting the control component with the control panel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Illustrative, non-limiting embodiments of the present invention overcome the above disadvantages and other disadvantages not described above. Also, the present invention is not required to overcome the disadvantages described above, and an illustrative, non-limiting embodiment of the present invention may not overcome any of the problems described above.

Therefore, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a refrigerator in which an installation position of a wire assembly is conveniently altered in correspondence to an opening direction of a door.

The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention are also achieved by providing a refrigerator comprising a main body forming a refrigerating compartment; a door being rotated selectively in a first direction or in a second direction opposite to the first direction to open the refrigerating compartment; a wire assembly connecting the door with the main body; and a door cap coupled to the door, the door cap comprising a first accommodating section to receive the wire assembly when the door is rotated in the first direction, and a second accommodating section being opposite to the first accommodating section to receive the wire assembly when the door is rotated in the second direction.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the door cap is provided with a wire insertion portion formed on a surface thereof between the first and second accommodating sections, and through which the wire assembly is inserted in the door cap.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerator further comprises a first hinge unit connecting the door cap with the main body, the first hinge unit comprising a hinge bracket installed selectively at opposite sides of the main body and connecting the main body with the door cap; a hinge pin provided in the hinge bracket; first and second accommodating portions provided in opposite portions of the door cap and selectively accommodating the hinge pin.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the wire assembly comprises a sleeve selectively coupled to the first or second accommodating portion in correspondence to the first or second direction, and the hinge pin is rotatably accommodated in the sleeve and formed with a cutting portion to support the wire assembly.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerator further comprises a display portion provided in the door and connected to the wire assembly to adjust and display a state of the refrigerating compartment, wherein the wire assembly passes through the wire insertion portion and the first accommodating portion of the door cap and the cutting portion of the hinge pin and connects the display portion with the main body when the hinge pin is rotatably inserted in the sleeve accommodated in the first accommodating portion and allows the door to be rotated in the first direction, and the wire assembly passes through the wire insertion portion and the second accommodating portion of the door cap and the cutting portion of the hinge pin and connects the display portion with the main body when the hinge pin is rotatably inserted in the sleeve accommodated in the second accommodating portion and allows the door to be rotated in the second direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and/or other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompany drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator having a rightward opening door according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a hinge bracket and a hinge cover in the refrigerator of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a door cap region in the refrigerator of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the door cap of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a partial plan view showing an open state of the door in the refrigerator in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a refrigerator having a leftward opening door according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a hinge bracket and a hinge cover in the refrigerator of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a door cap region in the refrigerator of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 9 is a partial plan view showing an open state of the door in the refrigerator in FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE, NON-LIMITING EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to illustrative, non-limiting embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.

As shown in FIG. 1, a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention comprises a main body 1 forming upper and lower refrigerating compartments (not shown), upper and lower doors 4 and 5 rotatably opening and closing a front opening of each refrigerating compartment, and a hinge unit supporting each door 4,5 against the main body 1.

The hinge unit comprises an upper hinge unit having first and second hinges respectively supporting an upper portion and a lower portion of the upper door 4, and a lower hinge unit (not shown) supporting the lower door 5.

On a top portion of the main body 1, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, right and left second wire assemblies 3 a and 3 b connected with a control component (not shown) provided in the main body 1 are partially exposed; and first and second coupling holes 2 a and 2 b to which a first hinge bracket 20 (to be described later) is selectively coupled are formed.

The first coupling hole 2 a is formed on one side of the top portion of the main body 1 and is, as shown in FIGS. 2 through 5, coupled with the first hinge bracket 20 by a screw (not shown), thereby allowing the upper door 4 to be rightward opened.

The second coupling hole 2 b is formed on the other side of the top portion of the main body 1 and is, as shown in FIGS. 7 through 9, coupled with the first hinge bracket 20 by a screw (not shown), thereby allowing the upper door 4 to be leftward opened. Here, the first hinge bracket 20 is detached from the first coupling hole 2 a and then coupled to the second coupling hole 2 b.

The first hinge unit hingedly connects the upper portion of the upper door 4 with the top portion of the main body 1. The first hinge unit comprises the first hinge bracket 20 disposed throughout the top portion of the main body 1 and a door cap 12 (to be described later) of the upper door 4; a hinge pin 24 formed in the first hinge bracket 20; a grommet 26 as a sleeve rotatably accommodating the hinge pin 24; first and second accommodating portions 45 and 47 provided at opposite sides of the door cap 12 and to which the grommet 26 is selectively inserted. Further, an installation region for the first hinge unit is covered with a first or second cover 27 a and 27 b disposed oppositely.

The first hinge bracket 20 comprises a hinge coupling portion 21 rotatably coupled to an upper portion of the door cap 12, and a fastening portion 22 extending from the hinge coupling portion 21 and fastened to the top portion of the main body 1.

The hinge coupling portion 21 is provided with the hinge pin 24 protruding downward from the surface thereof, wherein the hinge pin 24 is shaped like a hollow cylinder and has a partial cutting portion 25 to support a first wire assembly 16 (to be described later).

Thus, in the case where the hinge pin 24 is rotatably inserted in the grommet 26 accommodated in the fist accommodating portion 45, the upper door 4 can be rotated with respect to the hinge pin 24 in a first direction, i.e., rightward, as shown in FIG. 5. Oppositely, in the case where the hinge pin 24 is rotatably inserted in the grommet 26 accommodated in the second accommodating portion 47, so that the upper door 4 can be rotated with respect to the hinge pin 24 in a second direction, i.e., leftward, as shown in FIG. 9.

The fastening portion 22 steppedly extends from the hinge coupling portion 21 and is coupled to the first coupling hole 2 a or the second coupling hole 2 b of the main body 1 by the screw. Here, the fastening portion 22 is formed with a through hole 23 via which the screw is inserted.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the case of the upper door 4 of the rightward opening type, the fastening portion 22 is coupled to the first coupling hole 2 a of the main body 1 by the screw (refer to FIG. 3). Further, as shown in FIG. 9, in the case of the upper door 4 of the leftward opening type, the fastening portion 22 is coupled to the second coupling hole 2 b of the main body 1 by the screw (refer to FIG. 8).

The second hinge unit comprises a first hinge shaft 31 provided in a lower right portion of the upper door 4, a second hinge shaft 32 provided in a lower left portion of the upper door 4, and a second hinge bracket 30 installed the main body 1 under the upper door 4 and rotatably coupled to the first hinge shaft 31 or the second hinge shaft 32.

Thus, when the hinge pin 24 is rotatably inserted in the grommet 26 accommodated in the first accommodating portion 45, the first hinge shaft 31 of the upper door 4 is coupled to the second hinge bracket 30 provided in a right portion of the main body 1 under the upper door 4, thereby allowing the upper door 4 to be rotatable rightward as shown in FIG. 5. Oppositely, when the hinge pin 24 is rotatably inserted in the grommet 26 accommodated in the second accommodating portion 47, the second hinge shaft 32 of the upper door 4 is coupled to the second hinge bracket 30 provided in a left portion of the main body 1 under the upper door 4, thereby allowing the upper door 4 to be rotatable leftward as shown in FIG. 9. At this time, the second bracket 30 is detached from the right portion of the main body 1 under the upper door 4 and then coupled to the left portion of the main body 1 under the upper door 4.

Further, the upper door 4 comprises an outer plate 10 forming a font of the refrigerator, an inner plate 11 spaced from the outer plate 10 to fill a space between the outer plate 10 and the inner plate 11 with a foaming material, and the door cap 12 coupled to top portions of the outer plate 10 and the inner plate 11.

Further, in a front of the upper door 4 are provided a display portion 14 displaying a cooling state and/or a freezing state, and a control portion 13 provided with a plurality of buttons 15 for allowing a user to adjust the cooling state and/or the freezing state.

In the upper door 4 is embedded the first wire assembly 16 having a first end connected to the display portion 13 and a second end drawn out from the upper door 4 (refer to FIG. 3). The second end of the first wire assembly 16 drawn out from the upper door 4 can be connected with the right second wire assembly 3 a (refer to FIG. 5) or with the left second wire assembly 3 b (refer to FIG. 9).

The door cap 12 comprises a door cap main body 40 approximately shaped like a rectangular plate and curved at sides thereof, and a wire cover 49 coupled to an upper potion of the door cap main body 40 and covering first and second accommodating sections 41 a and 41 b (to be described later).

The door cap main body 40 is formed with a wire accommodating portion 41 recessed from a surface thereof and accommodating the first wire assembly 16 along a lengthwise direction, and first and second stepped portions 44 and 46 at opposite ends thereof.

The wire accommodating portion 41 comprises the first accommodating section 41 a shown in FIG. 4 to accommodate the first wire assembly 16 connected with the display portion 13 so as to allow the upper door 4 to be rotatable rightward (refer to FIG. 3); and the second accommodating section 41 b shown in FIG. 4 to accommodate the first wire assembly 16 connected with the display portion 13 so as to allow the upper door 4 to be rotatable leftward (refer to FIG. 8).

The door cap main body 40 is provided with a wire insertion portion 43 formed on a bottom thereof between the first and second accommodating sections 41 a and 41 b, and through which the first wire assembly 16 connected with the display portion 13 is inserted in the door cap main body 40.

Each of the first and second stepped portions 44 and 46 is formed to have a stepped shape relative to an upper surface of the door cap main body 40, and to which the hinge coupling portion 21 of the first hinge bracket 20 is selectively received.

The first and second stepped portions 44 and 46 are respectively formed with first and second accommodating portions 45 and 47 penetrated transversely to the lengthwise direction of the door cap main body 40 and to which the grommet 26 is selectively coupled.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, when the grommet 26 is coupled to the first accommodating portion 45, the second accommodating portion 47 is covered with a cover 48. Oppositely, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, when the grommet 26 is coupled to the second accommodating portion 47, the first accommodating portion 45 is covered with a cover 48. At this time, the cover 48 is detached from the second accommodating portion 47 and then covers the firs accommodating portion 45.

With this configuration, the installation of the first wire assembly 16 to allow the upper door 4 to be opened rightward as shown in FIG. 1 and leftward as shown in FIG. 6 will be described hereinbelow, respectively.

As shown in FIGS. 1 through 5, in the case of the upper door 4 of the rightward opening type, the first wire assembly 16 connects the display portion 13 to the right second wire assembly 3 a of the main body 1, passing through the wire insertion portion 43 and the first accommodating section 41 a of the door cap 12, and a cutting portion 25 of the hinge pine 24.

At this time, the first hinge bracket 20 is coupled to the fist coupling hole 2 a, the hinge pin 24 is rotatably inserted in the grommet 26 for the first wire assembly 16 accommodated in the first accommodating portion 45, and the first hinge shaft 31 of the upper door 4 is rotatably coupled to the second hinge bracket 30. Further, the second accommodating portion 47 is covered with the cover 48.

Thus, as shown in FIG. 5, the upper door 4 can be opened rightward with respect to the hinge pin 24 and the first hinge shaft 31 disposed in a right side.

Meanwhile, the opening direction of the upper door 4 can be altered from the right opening type to the left opening type, as follows.

First, the first hinge bracket 20 is detached from the first coupling hole 2 a and then coupled to the second coupling hole 2 b. Further, the second hinge bracket 30 is detached from the first hinge shaft 31 and then coupled to the second hinge shaft 32 in the left region of the main body 1. Then, the first wire assembly 16 is moved from the first accommodating section 41 a to the second accommodating section 41 b. Further, the grommet 26 is moved from the first accommodating portion 45 to the second accommodating portion 47.

As shown in FIGS. 6 through 9, in the case of the upper door 4 of the leftward opening type, the first wire assembly 16 connects the display portion 13 to the left second wire assembly 3 b of the main body 1, passing through the wire insertion portion 43 and the second accommodating section 41 b of the door cap 12, and the cutting portion 25 of the hinge pine 24.

At this time, the first hinge bracket 20 is coupled to the second coupling hole 2 b, the hinge pin 24 is rotatably inserted in the grommet 26 for the first wire assembly 16 accommodated in the second accommodating portion 47, and the second hinge shaft 32 of the upper door 4 is rotatably coupled to the second hinge bracket 30. Further, the second accommodating portion 45 is covered with the cover 48.

Thus, as shown in FIG. 5, the upper door 4 can be opened leftward with respect to the hinge pin 24 and the second hinge shaft 32 disposed in a left side.

As described above, the present invention provides a refrigerator in which an installation position of a wire assembly is conveniently altered in correspondence to an opening direction of a door.

Although a few exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents. 

1. A refrigerator comprising: a main body forming a refrigerating compartment; a door being rotated selectively in a first direction or in a second direction opposite to the first direction to open the refrigerating compartment; a wire assembly connecting the door with the main body; and a door cap coupled to the door, the door cap comprising a first accommodating section to receive the wire assembly when the door is rotated in the first direction, and a second accommodating section being opposite to the first accommodating section to receive the wire assembly when the door is rotated in the second direction.
 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the door cap is provided with a wire insertion portion formed on a surface thereof between the first and second accommodating sections, and through which the wire assembly is inserted in the door cap.
 3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a first hinge unit connecting the door cap with the main body, the first hinge unit comprising: a hinge bracket installed selectively at opposite sides of the main body and connecting the main body with the door cap; a hinge pin provided in the hinge bracket; first and second accommodating portions provided in opposite portions of the door cap and selectively accommodating the hinge pin.
 4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the wire assembly comprises a sleeve selectively coupled to the first or second accommodating portion in correspondence to the first or second direction, and the hinge pin is rotatably accommodated in the sleeve and formed with a cutting portion to support the wire assembly.
 5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, further comprising a display portion provided in the door and connected to the wire assembly to adjust and display a state of the refrigerating compartment, wherein the wire assembly passes through the wire insertion portion and the first accommodating portion of the door cap and the cutting portion of the hinge pin and connects the display portion with the main body when the hinge pin is rotatably inserted in the sleeve accommodated in the first accommodating portion and allows the door to be rotated in the first direction, and the wire assembly passes through the wire insertion portion and the second accommodating portion of the door cap and the cutting portion of the hinge pin and connects the display portion with the main body when the hinge pin is rotatably inserted in the sleeve accommodated in the second accommodating portion and allows the door to be rotated in the second direction.
 6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, further comprising a cover covering the second accommodating portion when the hinge pin is rotatably inserted in the sleeve accommodated in the first accommodating portion, and covering the first accommodating portion when the hinge pin is rotatably inserted in the sleeve accommodated in the second accommodating portion.
 7. The refrigerator according to claim 2, further comprising a first hinge unit connecting the door cap with the main body, the first hinge unit comprising: a hinge bracket installed selectively at opposite sides of the main body and connecting the main body with the door cap; a hinge pin provided in the hinge bracket; first and second accommodating portions provided in opposite portions of the door cap and selectively accommodating the hinge pin.
 8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein the wire assembly comprises a sleeve selectively coupled to the first or second accommodating portion in correspondence to the first and second direction, and the hinge pin is rotatably accommodated in the sleeve and formed with a cutting portion to support the wire assembly.
 9. The refrigerator according to claim 8, further comprising a display portion provided in the door and connected to the wire assembly to adjust and display a state of the refrigerating compartment, wherein the wire assembly passes through the wire insertion portion and the first accommodating portion of the door cap and the cutting portion of the hinge pin and connects the display portion with the main body when the hinge pin is rotatably inserted in the sleeve accommodated in the first accommodating portion and allows the door to be rotated in the first direction, and the wire assembly passes through the wire insertion portion and the second accommodating portion of the door cap and the cutting portion of the hinge pin and connects the display portion with the main body when the hinge pin is rotatably inserted in the sleeve accommodated in the second accommodating portion and allows the door to be rotated in the second direction.
 10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, further comprising a cover covering the second accommodating portion when the hinge pin is rotatably inserted in the sleeve accommodated in the first accommodating portion, and covering the first accommodating portion when the hinge pin is rotatably inserted in the sleeve accommodated in the second accommodating portion.
 11. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a wire cover coupled to the door cap and covering the first and second accommodating sections.
 12. A refrigerator comprising: a main body forming a refrigerating compartment; a door being rotated selectively in a first direction or in a second direction opposite to the first direction or in a second direction opposite to the first direction to open the refrigerating compartment; a wire assembly connecting the door with the main body; and a door cap coupled to the door, wherein the door cap is provided with a wire assembly insertion portion formed on a surface thereof.
 13. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein the door cap comprises a first accommodating section to receive the wire assembly when the door is rotated in the first direction, and a second accommodating section being opposite to the first accommodating section to receive the wire assembly when the door is rotated in the second direction.
 14. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein the door cap is provided with a wire insertion portion formed on a surface thereof between the first and second accommodating sections, and through which the wire assembly is inserted in the door cap.
 15. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein the wire assembly comprises a sleeve selectively coupled to one of the first and second accommodating portion in correspondence to the first or second direction. 